Lobster-claw lock



Nov. 15, 1938; L, J. BARWOOD 2,136,484

v LOBS TER CLAW LOCK Filed Nov. 19, 1955 Z. Mara/200d Patented Nov. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT arm 9 Claims.

The present invention relates to claw locks, and more particularly to lobster-claw locks such as are illustrated and described in Letters Patent of the United States, 1,997,711, granted April 16, 1935.

An object of the invention is to improve upon locks of the above-described character, to the ends of simplifying their construction and reducing their cost of manufacture.

A further object is to provide a claw lock that shall be readily adjustable to claws of largely varying size.

Another object is to insure against all possibility of the lock slipping off the claws.

Still another object is to provide a lock that shall require less efiort to manipulate.

Other and further objects will be explained hereinafter and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention will now be explained in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of a lobster leg, with the claws thereof locked by a claw lock according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective of the claw lock shown in Fig. 1, before attachment to the lobster claws; Fig. 3 is a plan of the same; Fig. 4 is a section taken upon the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 5 is an elevation corresponding to Fig. 1, but minus the lobster claws, and showing the parts in different relation; and Fig. 6 is a section taken upon the line 6-6 of Fig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows.

The novel lock of the present invention is constituted of two pieces of fiat, sheet-metal stock, each in the form of a U, thus producing a non-planar surface. One of the Us comprises arms 6 and I0 having oppositely disposed 40 substantially flat sides, merging in a neck 8. The

other U comprises arms 22 and 24 having oppositely disposed, substantially fiat sides merging in a neck 4. The neck '4 is preferably provided with oppositely disposed preferably V- shaped recesses II and I3 on its oppositely disposed sides. At intermediately disposed points of the arms 22 and. 24, the sheet metal is drawn outward in the form of cylindrical tubes 50 and 52 that extend into openings 60 and 62 at the 50 free extremities of the arms 6 and I0 and that are rolled or riveted over against the sides of the arms 6 and Ill. Corresponding arms 6 and 24, as well as I0 and 22, are thus pivoted to each other at corresponding, intermediately disposed points of the second-named U, where the rivet tubes and52 are positioned. An opening 2 is thus formed between the necks 4 and 8 and the pivot, at one side of the pivot. The V-chaped recess I3 is disposed at one edge of the opening 2, as shown, the necks 4 and B and the arms 6 and I0 constituting walls of the opening. The size of the opening 2 may be adjusted by pivoting or swinging the Us with respect to each other about the pivotal tubes 50 and 52.

The neck 8 is adapted to be positioned contiguous or adjacent to or on a claw I2 of a lobster leg I4, with the end I6 of the claw I2 extending through the opening 2, and with the walls of the V-shaped recess I3 contiguous to, and engaging, the Walls of the claw I2 on opposite sides of its inner, toothed edge I1, If the recess I3 is rounder, or U-shaped, the walls thereof will engage directly on this toothed edge I1, and the same is true if no recess I3 at all is employed, The same remarks apply with respect to the recess I I. The size of the opening 2 will be adjusted to adapt it to receive any sized claw I2 that will be found, in practice. The arms 22 and 24 extend along the sides of the other claw I8 of the leg I4.

The walls of the V-shaped or U-shaped recess II are adapted to be positioned contiguous to or on the inner, toothed edge IQ of the said other claw I8. The neck 4 is thus disposed between the contiguously disposed claws I2 and I 8. The wall 8 is preferably roughened, as by means of the transversely disposed corrugations l4, .and the roughened portions are adapted to engage against the edge 46 of the claw I2, to resist any tendency of the U-shaped member 6, 8, ID to change its position after it has become secured on the lobster leg.

The extreme ends of the arms 22 and 24 that extend on the side of the pivot opposite to the side at which the opening 2 is disposed, may be punched out at 40 and 42, and the ends of a wire 44 may be passed into the openings 40 and 42 and secured thereto, as illustrated, for example, at 1!]. The wire 44 extends over the convex outer edge 25 of the claw Ill. The wire 44 is then twisted, as shown at 12, to lock the claws in position, with the neck wall 4 interposed, and with the claw I2 in the opening 2, and with the claw I8 between the portions of the arms 22 and 24, on the side of the pivot opposite to the side on which the opening 2 is disposed, as illustrated. Whether the claws are locked closed or open, depends upon the width of the neck 4 and its location with respect to the teeth of the toothed edges I! and I 9. The degree of opening of the claws may be varied within limits. The claw I2 is locked, seated in the recess 13 and the claw I8 is locked, seated in the recess II.

It will be noted that, by reason of the pivotal adjustment of the U-shaped arms, it is possible to adjust the position at which the neck 8 engages the outer edge 46 of the claw l2; also that it is possible to adjust the position at which the twisted portion 72 of the wire 44 is disposed along the outer edge 25 of the claw 18. The U-shaped members 22, 4, 24 will automatically assume a position such that the lobster claw will become securely locked. In such position, the U-shaped members will assume relatively different positions, two of which are illustrated in Figs. 1 and 5. The positions assumed by the U-shaped members will depend upon the dimensions of the lobster claw; but a single claw lock may thus be employed for all sizes and shapes of lobster claws ordinarily met with. It is thus possible to eliminate all tendency for the wire 44 to slide down toward the end 20 of the claw l8. With proper adjustment, there will be no possibility of the lock slipping off the claws in a direction toward the left, as viewed in Fig. 1.

By having the extensions of the arms 22 and 24 to the right of the pivots long enough, a very slight twisting force will be required at 12 to secure the lock very securely in place, and with a minimum of effort and time.

The lock of the present invention is very simple in construction, and cheap, being constituted of but two pieces of sheet metal, bent into U shape and pivoted to each other without the necessity of any additional rivets, though the latter may be employed, if desired. A standard size and shape of the recesses H and I3 will be found adapted to all such lobster claws, the walls of the recesses engaging against the walls of the claws at different points, depending upon the thickness of the claws. If the recess I3 is V- shaped, the claw I2 will engage the walls thereof at 16 and 18; and if the recess II is V-shaped, the claw I 8 will engage the walls of the recess H at 8|] and 82. The points 16, I8, and 82 will vary with the thickness of the lobster claws, but all ordinary lobster claws will be securely held in the said recesses at one or another point of engagement.

Modifications will occur to persons skilled in the art, and all such are considered to fall within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A lobster-claw lock comprising two members pivoted to each other to provide between them on one side of the pivot an adjustable opening for receiving a claw of a lobster leg, one of the members having an extension on the other side of the pivot, and means connected with the extension for securing the lock to the leg.

2. A lobster-claw lock comprising two U-shaped members, corresponding arms of the Us being adjustably disposed adjacent to each other, the neck of one of the Us being adapted to be interposed between the claws of a lobster leg, and

means for securing the lock to the leg with the said neck interposed between the claws.

3. Alobster-claw lock comprising two Ushaped members corresponding arms of which are pivoted to each other, the neck of one of the Us being adapted to be interposed between the claws of a lobster leg, and means for securing the lock to the leg with the said neck interposed between the claws.

4. A lobster-claw lock constituted of two pieces of fiat metal each in the form of a U with the arms of the U having their fiat sides oppositely disposed, corresponding arms of the Us being pivoted to each other at corresponding, intermediately disposed points of the arms of one of the Us to form an adjustable opening at one side of the pivot between the necks of the Us and the pivot, the opening being adapted to receive a claw of a lobster leg, an edge of the opening being adapted to engage an inner edge of the said claw, and means for locking the said claw in the opening and also locking the other claw of the leg between the portions of the arms of the said U on the other side of the pivot.

5. A lobster-claw lock having a member provided with a portion adapted to be interposed between the claws of a lobster leg, a second member pivoted to the first-named member and adapted to engage the outer edge of one of the claws, and means connected with the first-named member for securing the lock to the leg.

6. A lobster-claw lock comprising two members freely adjustable with respect to each other in order that they may be readily adjusted by hand to provide between them an adjustable opening for receiving a claw of a lobster leg, one of the members having an extension, and means connected with the extension for securing the lock to the leg.

7. A lobster-claw lock having a member provided with a portion adapted to be interposed between the claws of a lobster leg, a second member pivoted to the first-named member and adapted to engage the outer edge of one of the claws, and means for securing the lock to the leg.

8. A lobster-claw lock having a member provided with a portion adapted to be interposed between the claws of a lobster leg, a second member freely adjustably connected to the first-named member in order that it may be readily adjusted by hand with respect to the first-named member, the second-named member being adapted to engage the outer edge of one of the claws, and means connected with the first-named member for securing the lock to the leg.

9. A lobster-claw lock having a member one end of which is adapted to be interposed between the claws of a lobster leg, a second member freely adjustably connected to the firstnamed member in order that it may be readily adjusted by hand with respect to the first-named member, the second-named member being adapted to engage the outer edge of one of the claws, and means connected with the other end of the first-named member for engaging the outer edge of the other claw.

LEON J. BARWOOD. 

